I got some hands-on experience with Microsoft Studios’ Bloodforge today on the floor at PAX East and boy did I unload some stress. After days of walking around in circles, chatting with a thousand people, and eating overpriced cheeseburgers I’ve found my first PAX to be…quite exhausting. I saved Bloodforge for last thinking it would be a last bloody but enjoyable experience and I was quite right!
Bloodforge is set in a fairly typical ancient setting of myth and legend with an archetypal warrior named Crom, who is unleashed into a quest of vengeance unto those who destroyed his life. What sets this game apart is the visually stunning combat system, which is not only filled with all kinds of gore but focuses on intense combos which slice and dice enemies a thousand different ways. The blood that Crom collects from his enemies can be used to upgrade skills and combos. I found myself enjoying the extremely graphic finishing moves – they were nothing short of gratifying. The visuals are a bit jumpy, but also stunning in a 300-type manner. Overall this seems like a game I would love to come home to after a rough day to kill ALL THE THINGS!
Bloodforge contains 5 worlds with approximately 5 hours of gameplay, and in lieu of multiplayer there are Blood Challenges, where you can set up combo scores for your friends to beat on XBL. This will be one of the first XBLA games to offer up to 400 Gamerscore points and will be available on April 25th for 1200 Microsoft Moonbucks ($15 dollars).
